diff --git a/arch_init.c b/arch_init.c
index 07f047fad4..fa059731ed 100644
--- a/arch_init.c
+++ b/arch_init.c
@@ -274,13 +274,6 @@ void do_smbios_option(QemuOpts *opts)
 #endif
 }
 
-void cpudef_init(void)
-{
-#if defined(cpudef_setup)
-    cpudef_setup(); /* parse cpu definitions in target config file */
-#endif
-}
-
 int kvm_available(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_KVM
diff --git a/bsd-user/main.c b/bsd-user/main.c
index 8e338c7f22..9f592be96f 100644
--- a/bsd-user/main.c
+++ b/bsd-user/main.c
@@ -753,9 +753,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     cpu_model = NULL;
-#if defined(cpudef_setup)
-    cpudef_setup(); /* parse cpu definitions in target config file (TBD) */
-#endif
 
     optind = 1;
     for(;;) {
diff --git a/include/sysemu/arch_init.h b/include/sysemu/arch_init.h
index c38892fec6..d690dfabdf 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/arch_init.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/arch_init.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ extern const uint32_t arch_type;
 void select_soundhw(const char *optarg);
 void do_acpitable_option(const QemuOpts *opts);
 void do_smbios_option(QemuOpts *opts);
-void cpudef_init(void);
 void audio_init(void);
 int kvm_available(void);
 int xen_available(void);
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index ba38aed431..95ed11d85c 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -4154,9 +4154,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     }
 
     cpu_model = NULL;
-#if defined(cpudef_setup)
-    cpudef_setup(); /* parse cpu definitions in target config file (TBD) */
-#endif
 
     srand(time(NULL));
 
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.c b/target-i386/cpu.c
index 14f64cb3b9..e615486596 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.c
@@ -2274,10 +2274,6 @@ void cpu_clear_apic_feature(CPUX86State *env)
 
 #endif /* !CONFIG_USER_ONLY */
 
-void x86_cpudef_setup(void)
-{
-}
-
 void cpu_x86_cpuid(CPUX86State *env, uint32_t index, uint32_t count,
                    uint32_t *eax, uint32_t *ebx,
                    uint32_t *ecx, uint32_t *edx)
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.h b/target-i386/cpu.h
index a91d000407..cd26decaaf 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.h
@@ -1225,7 +1225,6 @@ X86CPU *cpu_x86_init(const char *cpu_model);
 X86CPU *cpu_x86_create(const char *cpu_model, Error **errp);
 int cpu_x86_exec(CPUState *cpu);
 void x86_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf);
-void x86_cpudef_setup(void);
 int cpu_x86_support_mca_broadcast(CPUX86State *env);
 
 int cpu_get_pic_interrupt(CPUX86State *s);
@@ -1403,7 +1402,6 @@ uint64_t cpu_get_tsc(CPUX86State *env);
 #define cpu_exec cpu_x86_exec
 #define cpu_signal_handler cpu_x86_signal_handler
 #define cpu_list x86_cpu_list
-#define cpudef_setup x86_cpudef_setup
 
 /* MMU modes definitions */
 #define MMU_MODE0_SUFFIX _ksmap
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 2569dbb8d8..18d1423e57 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -4047,13 +4047,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         qemu_set_hw_version(machine_class->hw_version);
     }
 
-    /* Init CPU def lists, based on config
-     * - Must be called after all the qemu_read_config_file() calls
-     * - Must be called before list_cpus()
-     * - Must be called before machine_class->init()
-     */
-    cpudef_init();
-
     if (cpu_model && is_help_option(cpu_model)) {
         list_cpus(stdout, &fprintf, cpu_model);
         exit(0);